Vilano Journey Inflatable SUP Review

Complete Vilano Journey Inflatable SUP Review and Analysis:

In this independent review we will review the Vilano Journey inflatable SUP, one of the top-picks for this section. I know that spending $1,000 USD in a SUP is something not a lot of people can do, but fortunately the market has great yet affordable options for you, and in such place we find this board, one of the best cheap paddle boards.

Come with me and discover everything this board has to offer. I have to say that for the price, which is around $330 USD, it’s a very solid choice. But let’s discover all about it in this article.

Price: ~$$$ USD

Pros: Easy to use, very solid and rigid, 1-year warranty, good for beginners

Cons: Paddle is not that good, not very thick and doesn’t go very fast

The Stability:

A board without a good stability is not a good board. This is something you should know from now, because if your board is not stable at all, then it’s not worth it. Vilano Journey inflatable SUP board does not come with an excellent stability, but it’s fairly decent for the price you pay for it.

The first thing to know is that it’s an inflatable SUP. Once it’s fully inflated it’s fairly solid and rigid, it feels like a real hardboard. But the thing is that it’s not very thick (only 4 inches) and has only 1 fin, which makes the board less stable than other options present in the market.

Even there this board offers a solid stability, therefore making it an advisable purchase if you have a low budget. If it wasn’t stable, I’d not have included it here. Just remember that it won’t perform very well in choppy water.

Therefore, it will perform well in calm environments. Under rough conditions it won’t be very stable and therefore not advisable. That’s why I do not recommend Vilano Journey inflatable SUP for surfing, because it cannot handle big waves very well.

How Well Does It Glide? Is It Easy To Paddle?

How well does it glide? That’s an important question. If a SUP doesn’t track nor glide well, then it’s worthless. Is it the case with the Vilano Journey inflatable SUP? I’m happy to tell you that it glides nicely and is pretty easy to paddle.

It tracks very well. You won’t have many problems at the hour of directing it, which is an issue for beginners. You just need to look where you want to go and the board will take you there. As it’s very stable, you won’t have any problem at all.

Even though it’s not super-fast, it’s still nice in terms of speed. It will allow you to enjoy of a nice and fun ride. It’s not good for racing or competition, because it will result to be not enough. Yet, if you just want to enjoy of a very fun and nice ride, then this board is perfect for you.

The paddle is not very good, but for the beginner it’s more than enough. You should consider buying another paddle whenever you can. But as it’s an add-on, you cannot really complaint. It’s a very cheap bundle, and it does its job very well.

Transport and Inflation:

Inflatable SUPs are very easy to transport. You can store in a small room without problems, or if you want to, you can leave it inflated. And this board can be left in that state with no problem at all. The pump is kind of tricky, but as the material of this board is not so thick, you won’t have issues at the hour of inflating it.

You can put it in a small car and take it anywhere you want. Even if you leave it inflated, it’s only a few pounds heavy, therefore you won’t be tired after carrying it. This is the great thing about iSUPs, they are light and easy to carry and store.

Who Should Buy the Vilano Journey Inflatable SUP?

It’s about time to check what kind of person should buy this board. It’s not for everyone, therefore I encourage you to check this section properly.

People Who Have a Low Budget and Beginners:

If you don’t have a lot of money to spend, then this is one of the best boards you can buy. If you are starting off and would not like to spend $500+ in a SUP, then this is the best way to begin. It’s not very expensive at less than $330 USD.

Beginners who want to get their feet wet in this sport will find in this SUP a great way to get started. $330 USD is not that expensive and is at the reach of most people. In fact, you won’t find anything cheaper than that. You can find something at a more affordable cost, but I cannot guarantee you it will be a good board.

Seasoned paddlers should stay away from this board. It’s not good for cruising or touring in choppy water. It’s not appropriate for surfing or racing. Vilano Journey inflatable SUP board is just an OK board for beginners, nothing more than that.

For Recreational Purposes:

If all you want is to have some fun, then this SUP is perfect for you. As I said, it’s not good for cruising in choppy water nor for racing or surfing. It’s not that good at the hour of surfing big waves, although it glides nicely with slightly-choppy water.

We can use Vilano Journey inflatable SUP board for fitness as well. It’s not recommended for Yoga, but for simply working out it’s a good purchase. It will offer you everything you need for a good work out. Just make sure you to do it in the calm open sea or in a lake. It’s not recommended for rivers.

Conclusion and Final Words:

This is a very solid board for its price. It includes everything, which includes the pump, SUP, paddle and bag. You just need to buy this bundle and you are ready to go. It’s definitively recommended if you have a very low budget.